We're Not Broken, Just Bent
by saltandburnit
Summary: A series of one-shots Mostly angst, hurt/comfort, with lots of nakamaship and brotherly love. Rated T for safety. Chapter 9 up:Ace is still learning how to be a brother when Luffy decides to drag him off to that snake's nest. Is it him or is Luffy being especially stupid today? And reckless to top it all? Really, can't Luffy go a little easy on his newly acquired brotherly senses?
1. Chapter 1: Sea Breeze

**We're Not Broken, Just Bent**.

Summary: A series of one-shots with our favorite Straw Hats. Mostly angsty, hurt/comfort, with lots of nakamaship and brotherly love (when Ace eventually joins the story).

A/N: I'm never promising to work in one particular story again. It never works out. Anyway, this series of one shots is basically the place where I'll dump most of my one-shots and drabbles so I don't have to create a new one every time. The first one doesn't have so much angst, just easing our way in this… XD

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Isn't that the point of fanfiction?

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**Sea Breeze**

Early on their journey, Chopper realized how distinctive each crew member's scent was. Even as more joined in, he somehow seemed to associate each and every one of them with a particular odor. It was amazing really. He was able to understand who was near him with his eyes closed and those scents helped soothe his heart a little during their two year separation.

Usopp smelled like gunpowder. Gunpowder and graphite from the endless hours he spent sketching away and trying to design new inventions, new weapons. After their split something sweet entered the combination, probably because of his plants but the little reindeer couldn't put his finger on it. Wait... His finger?

Anyway… Robin held a beautiful scent. The smell of books, old, used books that had fulfilled their purpose.

Mikans were for Nami. She smiled when Chopper once told her. They held a special meaning to her and she was glad to know she held a bigger part of them with her than just the color of her hair.

Zoro's was grass. The cool, soothing grass after the rain. Though the young doctor wasn't sure why. If he asked Sanji, though he would blame the hair.

Speaking of, Sanji smelled like... Well, food. Spending all day in the kitchen could do that to a person. Not that Chopper minded. Sanji's cooking was the best after all.

Franky's was like Cola and metal. A weird combination, if you asked him but somehow had something SUPER about it.

Brook had the smell of milk. Chopper loved milk. And Chopper loved Brook. Really he couldn't have asked for anything else.

But one scent that truly struck him was the one of his captain. Luffy smelled like the sea...

Ironic, wasn't it? A man who couldn't swim bearing the scent of the sea. But Luffy loved the sea. He loved the adventure it offered him, the opportunities, the places, the people. He dreamt of the sea since he was a child and his biggest dream was to be the freest man of all in it.

For Chopper, the sea reminded him of their adventure together, of the friends he now had. So when they had to sleep all together instead of their rooms or when the poor thing just needed some comfort, Chopper snuggled close to Luffy and was reminded of everything he had worth living.

And when he spent two years in Torino Kingdom and the wind brought the sea breeze to his face, he smiled because suddenly, Luffy was there with him, urging him to go on and reminding him of what he was fighting for.

Each crew member had their own scent. But Chopper always snuggled close to Luffy. Because his seemed to include them all.

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A/N: I seriously wrote this on my phone last night before going to sleep in fear I would forget everything I wanted to write in the morning. Stupid plot bunnies! The idea for this came from wondering why in the world some people have specific scents and others didn't… O.o And as for the snuggling part, I once saw a drawing on deviantart with the Strawhats sleeping (and sorry I can't remember who did it for the life of me but if I find it I will post it) where Chopper was in walking point with Luffy's arms wrapped around him like he was a stuffed toy. It was so cute.

Anyway, _please leave a review_. This actually wasn't quite that angsty but I am thinking of a overly depressing sequel for this one. Will think about it.


	2. Chapter 2: Promise

**AU where Ace survives the war.**

**Characters**: Luffy & Ace (Marco, Jimbei)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own One Piece.

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**Promise**

Luffy's eyes slowly blinked open. A blurred figure hovered over him, studying him. With his vision still not entirely intact, he would have sworn he saw a pineapple. Of all things. Man, he was hungry.

"Hey. Hey..." An unfamiliar voice called to him. "Are you alright, Ace's little brother?"

What came out of Luffy's mouth was just a string of sleepy gibberish that caused the other man, who Luffy could now see was in fact a man and not a ridiculously tall pineapple, to give him a small smile.

"Luffy, was it, yoi?"

"Uh uh." He nodded. And not a second later he added "Ace?" judging from his previous attempt that any tries at full sentences would be pointless.

The man rolled his eyes. "And I thought Ace had a brother complex. He's crashing in my room, seeing as you're using his. He had a narcolepsy fit earlier and we saw it as our chance to finally make him get some rest. He's been worried sick for you, yoi."

"'S he 'kay?"

"Well he's been better but it's nothing serious. You should be more worried about yourself."

The door open then and a large fish man entered. "Is he awake, Marco-san? I heard voices."

After a minute or so of them talking about something Luffy was too tired to follow, Marco, as Jimbei had called him, left the fish man to watch him for a moment so he could get the doctor and see if Ace was awake. Jimbei had advised against getting the older brother here before either of them got their proper rest but Marco had (correctly) guessed that if he didn't bring Ace here Luffy would find a way to get to him instead and not only would he hurt himself, it would make both brothers twice as pissed. Jimbei couldn't protest after that.

Luffy had almost drifted back to sleep when the door burst open.

"Oi, Ace, be a little careful, will you?" A voice was heard from outside. Nobody paid any attention to it, though.

"Luffy? Luffy! Are you ok?" The raven haired man asked, going instantly to sit by his little brother.

Said little brother was staring at the elder, his eyes wide as if they were trying to take in every single detail about him. He was trying to convince himself he was alive. "A- Ace?" He mumbled, something akin to laughter hiding in his voice.

"Oh, Lu. What were you thinking?"

"I just-"

"Are you in any pain?"

"I-"

"I should probably get the doctor. Oi, Marco! Could you go get..."

"Ace?"

"... the doctor here?"

"Ace."

"Luffy, he-"

"ACE!"

Ace did a comical double take at the sudden outburst and finally turned to listen to the kid.

Luffy stayed quiet for a moment, studying him, trying to figure out what he actually wanted and what would be the best thing to say. Eventually he figured it out and let an enormous grin lighten up his features.

"I'm glad you're ok."

Ace looked like he'd been punched in the gut. His baby brother, his innocent, kind and utterly idiotic baby brother had gotten beaten half to death in a war he shouldn't have attended in the first place and the first thing he says after waking up _days_ later was that he was glad _Ace_ was ok?! Ace who had been worrying himself to death these past few days, feeling guiltier every second his brother remained unconscious.

And even though he had to be mad, even though he knew they needed to talk about it at some point or another, at this particular moment there was only one thing he truly wanted to say to him...

"I'm glad you're ok too, Lu. You scared the crap out of me."

Ace's eyes widened when Luffy's grin lost most of its charm and turned into a sad smile. The kid's eyes narrowed as if in pain. "So did you, Ace," he muttered with a hint of sadness. "So did you."

"Don't ever do that again!" They yelled at each other simultaneously and then smiled at their identical words.

"I won't, I promise," Ace said. And as it always happened with the brother's promises, no matter how far fetched, Luffy believed them.

And maybe Ace did notice how Luffy didn't make a promise of his own not to try to rescue him like that again. But he didn't say anything . Instead he wrapped his arms around his brother and held on for dear life, vowing never to break that promise, so Luffy wouldn't risk his life for him again.

Luffy got into enough trouble without adding his problems to the sum. That idiotic, little brother. If he wasn't going to learn, Ace would make sure he didn't have to.

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A/N: Well... That was pretty pointless. I just desperately wanted to write a little Ace but didn't have enough of a plot to do so. Oh, well.  
Even so, please leave a review. Since this story is mainly one-shots, I _do take requests_. So either message me or include it in the review.  
Also check out the _poll_ on my profile about which story you'd like to see updated more often, so I can manage my time accordingly!

Thanks a bunch :)


	3. Chapter 3: Away from the Sea

Sequel to Sea Breeze.

For everyone who liked the sweetness of Sea Breeze STOP NOW. This story is unbelievably tragic and will destroy every good feeling you had left from the first one. It's rightfully tagged under _tragedy_. Includes **character death**. I'm warning you. Also on top of it being horrible, it's ridiculously short, so I really don't mind if you ignore this and wait for the next one.

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**Away from the Sea**

Chopper loved the scent of the sea. There was a time when he was content just being near it, taking it in. Because once upon a time that scent reminded him of his captain and that was enough to make him happy.

Not anymore. No. Because Luffy- _sweet, childish, loving Luffy_- had left them behind. Gone where they couldn't follow him. His journey had ended so soon, so _painfully_ soon. Brook was right after all... The best always die young.

And it wasn't fair. Not even a bit. Just what did Luffy do to deserve such a sudden end? No matter how much he had grown, no matter how stronger he had got in the end he was still that little kid with a dream too big for this world. He had died with the heart of a child, a heart that should have never stopped beating.

A heart Chopper should have made sure never stopped beating...

Now tears fill Choppers eyes every time he goes near or even sees the sea. It's hard to forgive (_the simple minded world, the universe, Luffy for his recklessness or even himself_) and it's impossible to forget.

Once upon a time, Luffy's scent, the sea breeze reminded Chopper of all his nakama, his family, his home. To this day, it still reminds him of that.

Only now that's everything he's lost.

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A/N: I'm so evil. O.o what is wrong with me? Can't say I didn't warn you though. Anyway, please ignore this ever happened and wait for the next chapter. Thanks :)


	4. Chapter 4: You'll Live

_Luffy dies instead of Ace at Marineford_. You've seen such stories before I'm guessing, there are quite a few out there. I thought I'd give it a try. (And seriously, what is it with me and drama anyway?) Obviously **includes character death**.

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**You'll Live**

"Now watch…" The admiral demands and dread settles in his stomach. The dread turns into full blown fear when Ace is no longer his prey but instead he's heading towards…

_No. No. No, no, no, no, _NO_!_

"Wait!" _Stop. Stop, you bastard._ "Luffy!" _This can't be happening. Why the hell didn't I run when everyone told me to?_

Ace runs as fast as his wounds allow him and more, in a futile attempt to stop Akainu's attack.

But it's too late to run now. It's too late to run.

"LUFFY!"

* * *

Ace jumps up in his bed, abruptly waking from his sleep. It was just a dream, he tells himself. Just a dream, nothing else. Luffy, he's here somewhere… Isn't he? He has to be.

Suddenly Marco walks in and actually looks surprised to see him up. "Oh, Ace, you're finally awake, yoi?" he smiles slightly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Too many things happened for him to be able to smile again so soon. "Good. We've all been worried about you. You gave us quite the scare."

Ace tries to return the smile and somehow manages it, still feeling a little shaken. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to. Damn, Luffy must be freaking out right now. I should go talk to- Marco? What's wrong?"

The raven-haired man didn't fail to notice how his friend flinched at his words. "What is it?" He begins to panic, his mind going straight back to his dream.

"Ace… you don't remember?"

"Remember _what_?"

"Ace… when you fought with Akainu…"

How much of it was a dream?

"No." His head falls to his hands, fingers pulling at his hair tightly, painfully. "No. Stop it."

"Akainu decided to… to go after the kid…"

"Shut up…" His voice cracks.

"Ace…"

"_Shut up!_" And just like that, Ace can't keep lying to himself…

* * *

Akainu pulls his fist out of Luffy's body and the boy falls to the ground with a thud, his face contorted in an expression of pure shock, the pain not yet settling in. The older brother freezes, refusing to believe what his eyes are showing him.

It's only when Luffy starts to _choke_ on the blood gathered in his mouth that he starts to run again, dropping to his knees next to him and takes his little brother into his arms, sitting him more upright to spit out all the blood. The boy starts to cough, painful, wracking coughs that spray blood everywhere and Ace can only stare in shock at the sight before him. His brain doesn't fail to register however the huge crimson red stains Luffy's soaked shirt leaves on his body.

_This _can't _be happening._

"Lu- Luffy?" Another cough. His brother's body slumps a little bit more against him. Ace turns to Akainu with a growl and a murderous glare. "You _bastard!_ I'll…"

"_Stop_…" A weak hand grabs his shoulder and he looks down to find Luffy staring at him intently. "Don't…"

"Lu…"

"_Don't_ fight him. Don't do it, Ace."

"But he… he hurt you, Lu."

"So that means he has to hurt you, too?" His face breaks into a smile, the happiness of it ruined by the sight of blood on his teeth. "I worked so hard… to save you, Ace… Don't… let that be… a waste. Run… _Live_. _I want you to live,_" he repeats more intently, knowing this will get to him.

_ I want you to live_. Something inside Ace breaks.

Tears flow freely from his eyes as he feels Luffy's grip become slacker, he practically sees his little brother fading away. "You idiot! Why did you come? You shouldn't… You can't die for me, Luffy!"

"All these people are here to save you. You can't die now… That'd be rude."

"And you? What about your nakama?" He argues, as if reasoning will stop the boy from dying.

"They'll understand," he says, but his face saddens a little. "I'm sure they'll understand." _They know me_, is what's left unsaid. Because it was so much like Luffy to just give his life for someone like that. To give everything and expect nothing in return. And what did Ace ever do to deserve such loyalty, such _love_?

And couldn't he ask for a just a little bit more?

"What about me?" He dares to say, clutching the boy tighter.

"You'll live!" Luffy laughs. "You've got so many nakama! You have people to live for!" His laugh is cut short by another fit of coughing."

"Luffy…?"

"Sorry, Ace…" he pants. It's clear that even breathing is hurting him now. "I've got to go… I should go find Sabo. You think he'll be happy to see me?"

Ace's eyes widen in fear. "Luffy, no! Don't you dare!"

"Thank you. I'm happy I could call myself your brother!"

"_Luffy_!"

The body goes completely limp in Ace's arms. Luffy's eyes are closed peacefully and… very much like the way he lived, there was a huge smile on his face.

"Luffy?" Ace has never sounds more scared in his life. And his fear only increases when his brother doesn't reply. "Luffy? LUFFY?! Wake up! Wake up, Lu!" He's shaking him. He's shaking the body so hard but he still doesn't move. "Luffy! Wake up!"

"Ace!" Marco yells from somewhere near. "We've got to go!"

Arms are abruptly around him, pulling him away from his brother. His sweet, innocent brother, who never stopped chasing him… And Ace wishes he let him catch up for once. Just so he wouldn't have to follow him here…

"_LUFFY!"_

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Marco can only watch helplessly as his friend sobs loudly in his hands. He never had any brothers, but he knows the pain of losing a nakama. And yet, remembering just how far that kid was willing to go to save his brother, he realizes this could hurt a whole lot more than that.

So he mourns with him and both thanks and curses the kid for saving Ace but leaving him like this…

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A/N: Umm… ok. OOC much? Anyway, I needed to take a shot at this. I love the Luffy-dies-at-Marineford AUs.

Btw, this will probably have a sequel which will be the Ace version of my other story If You Could See Him Now. If Luffy died instead of Ace, shouldn't we have an Ace-Sabo reunion? I think we should. So I'm going to write one… Probably.

As usual, please leave a review! Thanks :)


	5. Chapter 5: Forgotten Dreams

Alive Sabo story. Because I want to believe, ok?

**Summary**: After spending so many years with the Revolutionaries, Sabo all but forgot of his life before that. But when news of his brothers keep coming and coming and the events of Marineford unraveling before his eyes, he realizes that maybe some things cannot be forgotten.

**Characters: **Sabo, Luffy, Ace

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. *sigh* One of these days...

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**Forgotten Dreams**

Sabo had been with the Revolutionaries long enough to develop some sort of routine. He knew his way around the headquarters, he had memorized rules and names and numbers. The transition was hard but seven years had managed to teach him a lot.

But he never quite managed to forget his previous life and even when he did, reminders always came in one way or another.

The first came seven years after his departure in the form of a bounty poster. A poster of a raven-haired man so painfully familiar to him with a determined look on his face and eyes with burning fire. Actually his whole being was fire.

Portgas D. Ace. Or Fire Fist Ace.

Sabo briefly wondered what he got that nickname for. The biggest part of his brain however was focused on the fact that his brother had in fact followed his dream. Without him. That realization came with a sharp pain in his heart. It was the first time he actually somewhat regretted accepting Dragon's offer to keep him around. Luffy passed through his mind and he felt sorry for the boy back in Goa, seeing as he had always hated being along. Was he miserable because of his brother's departure or had he found something worth striving for? Somehow he knew it was the second one. Despite being a crybaby, Luffy was a strong kid with a will to match. He would pull through.

Of course he was proven correct three years later.

The second poster really shouldn't have surprised him but technically Luffy should have just left for his journey and he already had a bounty this high and Sabo just couldn't help but laugh at how his little brother turned out. S_traw hat Luffy, huh? Just how are you going to return the hat now, Lu?_

And the bounties kept rising and rising until Ace was at half a billion and Luffy- sweet, innocent, little Luffy- was worth 300 million and he wondered what a boy like Luffy could have done to be labelled as such a dangerous criminal.

And then other kind of news came. News about the execution of Fire Fist Ace. And _oh God_, they were going to kill his brother.

Sabo was too far away to do anything but reach Sabaondy in time and settle with watching the live feed from there. He listened to the incredible story of Rouge and stared in awe at all of Ace's nakama fighting for him. Suddenly, despite everything he was proud of his brother and happy for the journey he had had, the amazing adventures, the life of a pirate. A pirate like he was supposed to be.

When Luffy shows up, Sabo's not sure whether he should be surprised or not. Luffy had always been chasing after Ace anyway. Though there was that one jaw dropping moment when they announced the boy's heritage. Dragon?_ DRAGON_?! Had he really spent the last ten years of his life following _Luffy's dad_, of all people?! And how in the world was that idiotic rubber boy the son of the greatest criminal in the world, a person who, in Sabo's experience, was as far from Luffy as he could get.

However, seeing the boy's stubbornness and remembering the unwavering determination in his eyes as he announced that he was going to save Ace even if he died (_and please, please don't let that happen!_), it started to make sense. That fearless will could have come from only one person.

Sabo had never been prouder of neither himself not anyone he ever knew in his life than of Luffy when his feet touched that damn execution platform after going through all kinds of hell. He even had to fight Garp, his very own family. A very abusive family, mind you, but everyone knew the kid still loved his grandfather.

And so they were free. Fighting and laughing and helping each other. And Sabo longed to join them, he wished with his whole heart to be there with them, fight along side them. He wanted his brothers back so badly.

He smiled watching them go. And geez, could Ace get more protective?

Yes, yes he could. _Damn it, Ace. No. NO. Why?_

He knew why. The reason itself was right next to his fallen brother letting out the most gut wrenching cries of grief Sabo had ever heard.

With tears flowing freely from his eyes, he shamefully tried to cover his ears, not being able to stand the happiest person in the world in so much pain... Sabo mourned for the loss of both his brothers that day.

The next few days were spent in a state of numb shock and grieving. His own nakama couldn't figure out what was wrong with him or how to help him. Sabo was hurting so much he wanted to scream.

Ace... Ace was dead. _Ace was dead_. They were supposed to be free, sailing the seas together.

Luffy... Luffy was missing. Possibly dead. Wasn't he going to be the Pirate King? Make them see how strong he was? Where was he_ now_?

Sabo was hurting. Wasn't he supposed to become a pirate? With his brothers? His selfless idiots of brothers who were ready to die for each other. And he would die for _them_ in a heartbeat. If only he had been there to do so.

One day news came through. Of Strawhat Luffy's return to Marineford. And Sabo felt the light come back into his life. He had never been so grateful for anything in his life.

Soon Robin joined them for a while and he spent the next year with her, helping her, in return for stories of his brother's antics. The Celestial Dragon punch was one of his favorites.

News of Luffy's return to the pirating world found him in a small island in the new world. He was at his brother's grave. With a bottle of sake and three cups. The man left those next to the grave, with the newspaper. He knew Ace would be proud of them both.

Those sake cups represented their bonds as brothers, their childhood, their dreams. Sabo had once forgotten about them. But not anymore. Ace never stopped taking care of his little brother. Luffy still pursued his dream. And Sabo would never forget again. Maybe he would never be a pirate like he thought he would but even so he would never ever forget about his family again.

Sabo was going to find his little brother. And Luffy would understand. Because his dreams were not forgotten, just changed. Deep down they weren't so different though. Freedom was always going to be freedom and he was going to get it anyway, for both himself and his brothers.

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A/N: That was a bit weird, but I hope it turned out ok. A slightly happier note after the horror of the last two chapters. Only slightly, though. As always leave a review and tell me what you think! :)


	6. Chapter 6: Priorities

**Prequel to ****_Promise_****.** Sort of. A way Ace could have not died at Marineford. Aka my wishful thinking. Oh well.

**Characters**: Ace, Luffy

**Genre**: Family… Drama? Maybe?

**A/N: **Trying for something a little happier. Not sure if it will work out, though. By the way, for those who won't check out my profile (even though I still have that poll going on and I still appreciate the votes) this story currently has 25 chapters planned but I am taking requests.

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**Priorities**

Luffy couldn't understand where it all went wrong. They were _fine_, Ace was _free_ and they were finally going to get away and then _this _happened. Somehow. Really, Ace. Sabo was right. That's a really bad habit you got there.

So now Ace was fighting that Admiral, who was seriously one hung up dude. Their families couldn't be _that_ important. It's not like either of them had ever met their fathers. Why did _he _care so much? Either way he was a jerk and Luffy wanted nothing more than to grab his brother and get out of there. But his brother was also a stubborn idiot who put his pride in front of everything and thus had put them in this awful situation. Fantastic.

"Ace!" Luffy screamed at him, but was ignored. He kept walking towards Akainu and the young boy knew it was _not _going to end well.

He tried to go towards his brother, to stop him, yet his feet could no longer hold him. Luffy fell on his knees and a new sort of desperation took hold of him. Dread settled in his stomach and once again he feared for the fate of his brother. There had to be something he could do… What would Ace respond to? No matter what?

It was then that he realized that to save Ace from his pride, he'd have to cast aside his.

"Ace…" he called weakly, unwillingly. Honestly, the last thing he wanted was to appear weak in front of his brother. However, he had no other choice. "_Ace!_" he called again, letting some of his fear seep into his voice. Luffy's resolve strengthened when he saw the man he was calling pause a little in his step. "Ace, I can't…" _I can't walk. Damn it, I can't walk_. "HELP ME!"

And it didn't matter who Ace was fighting, why he was fighting or how difficult the fight was, because _the moment_ his brother called, asking for _help,_ Ace would _always_ come for him. There was nothing more important than his little brother. Akainu's words were just that. Words. Oyaji would understand. So, the man turned to find Luffy on his knees, looking at him worriedly, his eyes lighting up once he saw him turn.

Forgetting all about the admiral, he ran back to the boy, grabbed him tightly and helped him up. "Lu? What's wrong?" Some of the other Whitebeard pirates were staring in awe at the sight before them. Ace had abandoned a fight. _Ace_ had turned back from a _fight_. What in the world…?

"I… I can't walk…" Luffy whispered, embarrassed but the smile was evident in his voice. "I'm sorry…"

"Shush, don't worry about it. You've been through a lot to get here, didn't you, little brother?" He smiled at him, all previous anger forgotten. Not seeing any other options, he placed the kid onto his back, albeit a bit roughly and… well… made a run for it.

Akainu for his part saw this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of them both at once. As he tried to attack them though, Whitebeard and Luffy's allies stepped in front to fight, buying the brothers precious time. Normally, both the boys would have been appalled at the thought of friends getting hurt in their place but Ace had more important things to worry about and Luffy was frankly too out of it to notice.

The hardships he had been through were truly starting to take their toll on his body and it was leaving him tired, in a haze and in a lot of pain. Ace could feel his brother slowly going limp on his back and could hear the whimpers of pain every time he jolted him a little bit too much. Once again he wondered just how hurt the boy was.

"Luffy? Lu, you ok?"

"Uhh… Yeah… I'm fine…" His speech was slightly slurred.

"You don't exactly sound fine." Ace frowned, worry settling in his stomach. They should have left earlier. Actually, Luffy shouldn't have come here in the first place. "Luffy?"

Luffy by this point was almost asleep, his head resting on his brother's shoulder. It was impossibly comforting, the feeling of being so close to the brother he had thought he'd lose for a moment there. "Huh?"

Ace sighed, realizing Luffy was incapable of staying awake any longer. "Go to sleep, Lu. You deserve it."

"Ace…" Despite how sleepy he was, he sounded hesitant to lose consciousness.

"I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Don't do anything stupid," he ordered, his mind going back to the incident with the Admiral.

Ace chuckled. "You're the one to talk." Feeling his brother's weight against him, he realized he had one more thing to say. "I have my priorities straight."

* * *

A/N: That was a bit short. I wanted to write a little bit more, to take it to the exact moment Promise picks up from, but this was a good place to end and if I kept it going it would lose its somewhat happy not and go more into angst. Since the next chapter (and almost every next chapter in fact) will have lots and lots of angst, I figured I should let this one end here.

As usual, please leave a review :D Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7: Worse than Nightmares

**Summary**: **AU**. Ace thinks getting captured by Teach is the worst thing that could happen to him. However when his captor brings him another prisoner to keep him company he realizes things can get so so much worse.

**Characters:** Ace, Luffy, Blackbeard

**A/N:** Sorry if Blackbeard is a little OOC... Also sorry for the angst and the overly dramatic Ace, I may have gone a bit too far, especially at the end...

* * *

**Worse than Nightmares**

_"Hey, Luffy, have you see the stars?"_

_"Uuhh? The... stars? Ace, what..?"_

_"Have you see the stars, Lu?"_

_"Of course I have... Who hasn't? What's going on?"_

_"But have you seen them like I have? Come with me, I'll show you."_

_"Ace..."_

_"Come on, let's go."_

* * *

A small smile showed on Ace's bloody face at the memory. Luffy had been having a nightmare and he had used the first excuse that had come into mind to wake him up. That night the brothers had gone up in the highest part of the mountain where it was further from the lights and closer to the stars... It was the most beautiful place in Goa. But Luffy's smile that night had shined brighter than all the stars combined.

And now, Ace's life has turned into a nightmare and he couldn't wake himself up. First it was Thatch's murder, Teach's treason, then the long months away from his crew with only the thought of revenge to keep him company and it all ended up... here. In the darkest part of Teach's ship, cuffed and chained to the wall, waiting to be handed over to the government. Where he would either be put to prison for life or executed.

Damn it. How could he have been so stupid? When did things turn out so wrong?

What was he going to do? He couldn't die... He promised. He promised his brother. Shit, things were so screwed up.

Ace didn't know how long they had been traveling but suddenly he realized that they had stopped for a while now. It had also been a while since he last heard any noise from the ship. Where was everyone? Curiosity was eating at the man and he bit his tongue to keep himself from calling out.

He didn't have to wait for long anyway. A while later booming laughter was heard from the ship. Teach and his crew had returned from wherever the heck they had gone and they were clearly happy. After a moment, the captain himself walked in and stopped right outside of his cell, grinning with an alarmingly mischievous look.

"Ace! How are you doing?" The only reply he got was a glare. To be fair, Blackbeard didn't expect anything different. But he was dying to see his reaction to what was coming next. "You know, Ace, I feel kinda sorry for you... All alone in this cell..." Ace's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So I brought you some company!"

"Company?"

"Do you remember what I told you I'd do... before our fight?"

It took a moment for the raven haired man to connect the dots but when he did, a burning anger settled in his stomach, mixed with a gut wrenching despair at the thought of... the thought of his... his brother...

"You bastard! Don't you _dare_!"

"Dare? I already did!"

"No! You bastard, how could you?! Where is he?!"

"Hey, guys! Where the hell did you put the kid? Bring him here to meet his cell mate!" Teach yelled at his comrades.

Ace audibly growled at him, fury burning in his eyes. Teach knew, he _knew_ Ace had purposefully fought to save his brother yet he went ahead and went after the boy anyway! Oh God, what did he do to Luffy?

"There he is!" Blackbeard laughed and opened the cage to put the boy in. Ace's head snapped up to see.

His blood froze at the sight.

A member of the crew tossed an unconscious, sea stone bound Luffy into the cell and closed the door behind him. The kid was covered in blood and dirt, his clothes torn at the edges. His breathing was deep and uneven and it scared Ace to the core to see him like that.

"What did you do to him?" He asked, voice low and threatening. In reply he only got a laugh that only fed his anger. "ANSWER ME! _What the hell did you do to him_?!"

"Nothing much different than what we did to you. Kid put up one hell of a fight, though. Especially when he learned of your... current situation."

Ace felt like dying. Luffy, being the idiot that he was, had been worried about him. _Care about yourself for once, idiot!_ He strained against his chains. "Luffy!"

With another laugh Teach turned to leave, not without making one last comment, arrogance echoing in his voice. "Enjoy your little reunion boys. We'll be arriving at a marine base soon. I can only guess but I imagine they won't hold you together there."

Once the door of the room closed Ace desperately tried to reach his brother. His hands were chained to the wall so he used his legs, stretching as far as he could and wrapping them around Luffy's waist and pulling him closer. With more than a little fear seeping in his voice he called out his name, more urgently every time he got no answer.

Luffy stayed as still as a corpse through it all. He was never so still, not even when he was sleeping. If it wasn't for the rise and fall of his chest the older man would have thought him dead.

"Come on, Lu. Nap time's over, it's time to wake up. Please. WAKE UP, LUFFY!" He heard laughter from outside because of his little outburst but for once he didn't give a single damn about his pride. Not when his little brother was lying motionless in front of him with no signs of waking up.

The boy's hand twitched a little and Ace held his breath, waiting for the kid to finally open his eyes. He had to bite back a sigh of relief when those huge black orbs of his brother turned tiredly to him.

"A... ce?" His voice was small and pained and the older sibling couldn't help but wonder how much of a fight he had put and just how much had been needed to subdue him. Just how hurt was he?

"Luffy! Are you ok? Talk to me, what in the world happened?" Once again he rattled the chains desperately wishing he could free his arms and get to his brother.

"He... found us at Thriller Bark. We were all exhausted from the fight we had with... with Moria. No one but me was in any condition to fight. Ace... Ace, I'm so sorry... I- I tried..."

"Stop it, Lu. Don't you dare blame yourself for this. It was my responsibility to take care of Teach, not yours. I'm sorry you got involved with this."_ I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from him._

It was like something from a nightmare. Ace was immobilized, trapped in the cell of a traitor, incapable of helping himself, much less anyone else. And Luffy, his innocent little brother who had absolutely _nothing_ to do with any of this was injured and held captive right next to him. So close yet he was unable to reach him. And all because of him.

"Luffy..."

And if that wasn't enough they were going to be handed to the marines, probably to be executed shortly. While Ace didn't give a damn about himself, he couldn't bear the thought of the always grinning idiot named Luffy being executed. Especially not like this.

"... I'm so sorry, Lu."

"Don't sweat it, Ace," he smiled. He actually smiled as if nothing was wrong with the world. "We'll figure something out. But man, that bastard didn't take my hat with me. I hope my crew found it."

"I'm sure they did," Ace smiled a little, not really feeling it.

"They'd better! That hat's the mark of my promise. It shows me the way."

"Your promise..." He whispered, deep in thought. "To become the pirate king?"

"Yeah... Sort of."

No. Ace was wrong. This was worse than a nightmare. There was no waking up from this...

Luffy had dreams to chase and promises to keep and a crew that depended on him. Teach was planning on taking it all away from him. And Ace could do nothing about it. He couldn't protect his little brother who looked up to him, who trusted him so damn much.

_Sabo_, he thought up to the heavens, trying to keep calm, to not destroy Luffy's still somehow bright mood, _please, please help me. I can't keep my promise to you, I need help. I don't know what to do anymore._

_Hey, Luffy, have you ever seen the stars?_

Once upon a time, Ace would find an excuse to wake up his baby brother from his nightmares. Now he needed someone, anyone to wake him up from this, something so much worse...

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A/N: And once again I'm wondering what in the world is wrong with me.. Oh well. You know the drill, leave a review! Oh and for those who haven't seen it already I started a new story _Finding Your Way Home_. Check it out if you have time! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8: Burning Treasures

**Summary: **During the fight between Luffy and Usopp, a slight miscalculation causes more damage than anyone would have expected. This time around maybe things won't be fixed so easily.

**Characters: **Luffy, Usopp, Strawhats

**A/N:** Look at that... I have nothing to say. Oh! Well, one thing. Check the bottom note for it, though. Thanks :)

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**BURNING TREASURES**

None of them could believe it. This just couldn't be happening. The best of friends, who always goofed around on the ship, cared for each other and supported one another even when it was hard or scary… they were now facing off in a duel. A cruel, merciless duel. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't a game. It was a fight between mean where the stakes were too high and the implications unbearable. Usopp had actually challenged his own captain to a duel and effectively left the crew. What the hell were they thinking?

The fight was quite one-sided but surprisingly enough it was Usopp's side that was controlling it. Hitting Luffy with simple, unconventional yet extremely effective attacks, he never gave him a chance to fight back. Even so, he knew how stubborn and how strong the young captain was and for once he didn't let his apparent success get into his head. He kept calm, deadly serious and when he saw that Luffy had found an opening to hit him, he prepared his next attack.

His aim however, was a bit off.

"_Flame Star!"_

That is not to say he did not hit Luffy.

"_NO!"_

He just hit something he really _really_ shouldn't have.

"Oh… my God."

Nami had known from the beginning that this was going to end bad. She could have never imagined _this_._ Usopp… How could you?_

Chopper was bawling next to her and to be fair, the two usually stoic men of the crew seemed unnerved as well. Zoro was slightly shaking, whether from anger or from shock nobody knew.

Luffy was frantic, eyes wide with panic and surprise, desperately trying to put out the fire. _This can't be happening_, his mind was yelling at him._ THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING. No. STOP._

And Usopp, the reason for all this, was staring at what he had done, guilty and appalled, stubbornly refusing to believe any of it. It didn't matter how mad he had been at Luffy, he would never… "Luffy…" It was an accident. "Luffy, I didn't mean to…" _What have I done?_ "I'm so sorry."

The raven-haired man fell to his knees in defeat, his obsidian eyes taking in the sight in front of him. His whole frame was shaking, but he refused to cry. Not yet.

On the ground in front of him was his very own straw hat. The one Shanks had given him. Only now… a large part of it was black and charred. Another was just gone.

"Not even Nami can fix this," Luffy whispered brokenly, the first of his tears lonely sliding down his cheek.

His nakama, _no_, his _opponent_, was by now terrified. Terrified of what he had done, of how much he had broken the boy and just how mad he was going to be at him. No one got away with damaging that straw hat and Usopp had… practically destroyed it.

Despite everything, when Luffy looked up, his eyes weren't screaming rage. They were filled with a deep, heart-breaking understanding that made Usopp's stomach twist with guilt.

"Usopp… I'm sorry," he said, his lips forming a shaky smile.

"What in the world are _you_ sorry for?" Usopp muttered incredulously.

A bitter laugh left the young captain's mouth. It hurt to hear. It sounded wrong. So painfully _wrong_. "I get it now. I do. Merry… she's your treasure. And I… I decided by myself what to do with her. I had no right to do that. Thanks for reminding me what that's like, I guess…"

He stood up slowly and picked his charred treasure from the ground, flinching when a part of it fell off. "_Shit_…" he muttered, his teeth tearing at his lower lip to halt the tears.

"Luffy, I didn't do it on purpose!" Usopp yelled, his eyes wide with shock. How could he even think that? He would never, he would _never_ do this to Luffy. No matter what.

"Take the Merry. I was planning on giving it to you anyway, whatever the outcome. Just wait until we pack our things."

"_Luffy_!" He tried again, but was once more ignored.

The man, who looked so much like a boy right at that moment, kept walking towards the ship, back turned to him, the fight all but forgotten. Even from the distance that was now between them, Usopp could see how much Luffy was trembling, the tears most likely now flowing freely. Nami was saying something he couldn't hear, probably an attempt to comfort the grieving captain. She looked shell-shocked herself, desperately trying to keep her composure. And when he looked over to the Merry, he could've sworn he saw her crying.

She wouldn't have wanted this.

Usopp loved the ship. He loved Merry so much. He was the one who fixed her every time she broke, who yelled at the rest when they damaged her, who was willing to defy the person he owed everything to for her. Yet seeing what he had done to his nakama, to _Luffy_, he wondered if it was all truly worth this.

She wouldn't have wanted this.

How had Usopp been foolish enough to believe that she would have?

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**A/N:** I'm a jerk. I'm such a jerk. Anyway, I need to tell you I won't be updating for a while so, check out my profile for the details!  
Please leave a review before you go (this story has been steadily losing reviewers... )!


	9. Chapter 9: Nii-chan

**Summary: **Ace is still learning how to be a brother when Luffy decides to drag him off to find that snake's nest. Is it him or is Luffy being especially stupid today? And reckless to top it all? Really, can't Luffy go a little easy on his newly acquired brotherly senses?

**Characters: **Ace, Luffy

**A/N: **This chapter was originally called Safety but then I changed it to Nii-chan because it was sweeter and a little bit more relevant but will be also forever known as _Honeydee'_s chapter. This was by request and I hope it turned out ok. Anyway, this is my last chapter for about a month so I hope you all like it :) Also I'm not very used to writing something a little more lighthearted and suck majorly at action (which is why I almost never write any fights) so go a little easy on me.

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**Nii-chan**

If Ace needed any more proof that Luffy couldn't sit still for the slightest amount of time, this would be it. He was trying to do something nice for a change, be a good brother. Learn some manners so he could thank the boy's savior. But even though Ace was supposed to be the impatient one, it seemed like Luffy was especially distracted and distracting today.

And when Ace decided to scold him for it…

"Hey, Ace! Yesterday, I found the nest of a giant snake, filled with huge eggs!"

… he tried to drag him off somewhere else.

"Let's go get them now!"

Never mind the fact that the older boy was doing this for him.

"Huh? Huge eggs?"

Even if he himself apparently wasn't all that focused either.

"No, I can't! I'm studying how to greet people!" Oh well, at least Ace was a _little _focused. But Luffy wasn't going to be denied the company of his brother so easily.

"I'll be in trouble if that huge snake catches me by myself! But I'll be fine if you're with me. So come on!" He said, his voice adopting a little whine. What the boy didn't know was that he was playing right at Ace's newly acquired brotherly instincts.

"Shut up!" In Ace's defense, they were still pretty new. "Go if you want to! I'm staying."

The 10-year-old had to suppress a groan when Luffy's smile turned into a frown. Could his eyes get any bigger? Those expressive, inky black eyes that were staring at him full of hope, silently asking him to come with him, threatening to fill with sadness if he refused… Nope. _Nope_. He had to do this. He couldn't waste Makino's time. He was staying.

_"But I'll be fine if you're with me!"_

_"Ace! Help me out, it's a bear!"_

Aw, shit.

He couldn't leave his brother alone again after that, could he?

"F_ine_," he groaned. "Sorry, Makino. Can we continue the lesson another time?" The woman nodded, chuckling a little and encouraged them to go.

On their way deep into the forest, where the nest was, Luffy was endlessly blabbering, so fast it was surprising he could breathe at all. Ace wasn't paying much attention, Luffy could really go _on_, changing the subject every minute or less, but he didn't tell him to shut up either. Normally, a punch in the head was reserved for every time Luffy became annoying… or even when he didn't. However, lately the freckled boy couldn't bring himself to hit the kid. I mean, unless he got really _really _annoying so much so that it was either hitting him or killing him and he didn't want his other brother to come haunt him for killing the youngest of the group. After all, Luffy had only recently recovered completely from his run in with that stupid bear (which Ace had sworn to catch and serve for dinner soon) and if the older boy was _trying_ to act a tad nicer to him, then no one could really blame him. Not even Dadan, who Ace had more than once caught chuckling at his new way of treating his little brother. That old hag.

"Ace! Ace! There! Over there!" The younger boy jumped in excitement, pointing at a small clearing right up ahead. He wasn't kidding. Those eggs were _huge!_ They could manage to carry only two eggs each. But hey, four eggs, right? That was cool.

"Shush, you idiot!" Ace told him in a harsh whisper. "What if the snake is near?"

Luffy tilted his head to the side, confused. "I heard that some snakes can't hear anything."

"Yeah, _some_ snakes. How do you know this is one of them?" He didn't have a reply for that.

There was no sign of the snake anywhere, so the boys cautiously neared the eggs. Ace placed his pipe on the ground next to the nest and proceeded to check the egg to see the weight and how they could possibly carry them, as well as look for any signs of cracks or signs that they could hatch anytime soon.

"Oof! It's heavy…" Luffy whispered whilst trying to lift one of them. His rubber arms actually stretched downwards, refusing to handle the weight. Ace sighed. Make that three eggs. Tops.

"We're not going to be able to carry them all. Just grab that one, I'll get two and we'll go… If we have time we'll come get some more, okay? Hurry, before the snake comes back," he told him and tried to get a good hold on the two he was self-assigned.

A nervous chuckle was heard from the younger boy. Ace frowned but didn't turn around. "Hey, Ace… We can't exactly do that…"

"Why not?"

"B-because… umm… the snake's already here."

Ace's head snapped to his brother. He did a double take that would have been comical weren't the two kids in such an awkward situation. Eyes widening slowly, he took in the state his brother was in. Luffy was staring apologetically at him, all the while being gradually constricted by the giant snake that had finally made its appearance.

"You _idiot_!" Ace hissed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"You told me not to make any noise!"

"WHAT GOOD IS THAT IF THE SNAKE'S ALREADY HERE?"

"Oh."

"Oh. Yes, _oh_," he growled under his breath, along with some very colorful language and went for his pipe.

"Ace, wait! Take the eggs and go! _Then _come back for me!"

The freckled boy stared at the other incredulously. "Are you completely out of your mind? What part of _huge snake is trying to _kill_ you _don't you get?"

Luffy grinned like an idiot and at that particular moment Ace truly believed his little brother _was_, in fact, a true idiot. "I'm made of rubber, Ace! It can't kill me like that. I can wait a few moments." Or maybe not.

While trying to get over the shock of Luffy actually having _thought_ about something and that something making some actual sense, Ace took a moment to think about it himself. It was true, the rubber boy couldn't be killed by a snake constricting him. Heck, he didn't even seem to be in pain. But the idea of leaving him here with it for any amount of time, no matter how short it was…

"Forget it, I'm saving your ass first. Then we get the eggs."

"But, _Ace_… We won't be able to…"

"It doesn't matter!" he snapped, interrupting the kid. "I'm not leaving you here, so just forget it."

He wasn't going to get away with it that easily, though. "I can take care of myself for five minutes!"

All he got for his troubles was a pointed eye roll followed by a heated glare. "You're being constructed by a snake, Luffy! No, you can't take care of yourself!" Luffy flinched at that, the words obviously hurting him. Guilt settled in Ace's stomach and he cursed himself for being mean to him yet again. "Look, you said you'll be fine if you're with me, right?" he continued in an attempt to soothe the blow, his voice calmer and nicer than before. "You're _safe _when you're with me, so don't ask me to leave you alone, ok?"

A sigh of relief left him when the other nodded and he finally grabbed his pipe to go save that utter idiot he called his brother. He brought the pipe straight down to the snake, making it hiss and loosen its hold as it took in its newest target. Luffy saw this as his chance, gathered as much force as he could and stretched his arms to his brother who in return grabbed him and pulled him away from the reptile. Unfortunately, Luffy had used too much force and ended up toppling the other, causing him to drop his pipe. At least they got thrown considerably away from it.

"Be a little careful, will you?" Ace groaned.

"Sorry, Ace…" He muttered, scrambling to get up.

"You alright?" The older asked, lifting himself off the ground and then helping Luffy do the same. "Let's get the hell out of here," he added once the boy nodded.

"What about the eggs?" A really loud hiss from right behind them made him freeze. "Umm…"

"Let's just go, Lu." He took his brother's hand and went to lead him out of the forest until he remembered. "Oh, crap. My pipe."

"Leave it, Ace," Luffy whined.

Ace growled in frustration. "Keep going, I'll be there in a minute!" He pushed him towards the forest and ran to grab his pipe. The snake saw him coming and turned to him, all the while hissing loudly. Apparently it didn't like its eggs being disturbed.

Speaking of eggs, Luffy being the reckless fool he was, instead of listening to his brother ran towards the nest to pick up at least one of them. He refused to leave empty handed, especially when the snake was too distracted.

Ace in the meantime grabbed the pipe just in time to jump out of the way before the snake struck. He landed a meter away and tried to get up but the reptile had rounded on him again and was preparing another attack. With a swipe of his pipe, he hit it straight on the head and made a run for it.

He was already in the forest when he realized his brother wasn't at all in front of him. "Luffy!" he called, looking frantically around. It took a second for realization to come. "Oh, shit. _Luffy!_"

"Ace!" A voice came back from the clearing. "Ace, _help!_"

Wide, alarmed eyes turned to the voice. His blood rushing to his ears, he ran back, once even tripping on his feet. "_Luffy_!" _That idiot, that total idiot, what was he thinking? Shit, Luffy, please be ok._

When Ace arrived back at the clearing he didn't know whether to laugh at or be terrified of what he was seeing.

Luffy had one of the eggs in his hands that made them stretch and hang lower than normal. He was clumsily running around the clearing, a panicked look in his face yet for some reason refusing to relieve himself of the weight and get away. Behind him, the snake was chasing him, hissing in anger, yellow eyes narrowed and threatening.

A spark filled the kid's eyes the moment he saw Ace standing there.

"A-Ace!"

"You fool!" He yelled, still in shock from the sight. "Drop it and run!"

"No!" was the stubborn reply. "I ruined your lesson for this! We're bringing back an egg!"

Ace looked taken aback at that. "W_hat_?" Was he serious? Did he really… "For heaven's sake, Lu, get _away_ from there!" Seeing the other's stubbornness though, he started to run to him.

Before the kid had a chance to reply, his foot caught on a thick root of a nearby tree causing him to tumble and fall, the egg slipping from his grip and breaking. The snake wasn't too pleased about that. Ace's eyes widened at the murderous glare his little brother was given. "_LUFFY!"_

"Aw, man…" Luffy pouted, not having heard the other. Soon enough he caught up to the violent hissing behind him, though, and turned around, obsidian eyes enlarging in fear. "A… Ace…" He was frozen, his body unwilling to move anymore.

In a desperate attempt to distract the snake, Ace threw the pipe at it. It hit the target, but it didn't elicit any reaction other than a small hiss his way. Luffy breaking the egg pissed it off more than anything he could do.

_Oh shit. Oh, no. Luffy. Luffy, run. Run. _"LUFFY, RUN!"

"ACE!" Fear laced the younger's voice. Seeing the snake ready to strike, the boy, with tears gathering in his eyes, thrust his hands forward, secretly praying for his older brother to catch him.

Ace caught them instantly and pulled with all the strength he could master as if his life depended on it and then some more because _Luffy's_ life depended on it and nothing was more important than that. The recoil would soon bring the boy to him but the snake… the snake was about to strike and… and… _oh God, hurry_. _Come on, come on, come on, COME ON! LUFFY!_

_What just...?_

Ace was aware of three things. One, he could still hear the snake somewhere near, making its way towards them. Two, he could feel his brother's weight against him, whimpering, whether from fear or from pain he didn't know. Three, even if he'd never admit it, he was too terrified to open his eyes and find out which one it was.

"A-Ace…?" Luffy's shaky voice brought him back from his thoughts. "It's coming over here again."

"Are… you alright?" he asked hesitantly, panting a little and ignoring everything else.

"Yeah..."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ace, and I'm so _so_ sorry! Can we _please_ go now?"

Ace opened one eye and looked at the shaking body in his arms. Luffy appeared relatively unharmed with only a few cuts and grazes on his arms and knees from the fall. The freckled boy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You…"

Luffy looked at him with confusion in his eyes when he didn't finish his sentence. "Ace?"

"Let's just go. Come on."

With that he helped them both to their feet and finally made a run for it, pipe and eggs completely forgotten. Ace couldn't care less about either.

* * *

"Can you please tell me what on earth you were thinking back then?" Ace demanded later that day, far away from the nest and its occupants.

They were at the river after somehow ending up there during their run and remaining ever since. It was as good a place as any. As long as Luffy didn't fall in.

The raven-haired boy fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, not daring to look at the older. "I was just… I didn't… I didn't want to have wasted your time. You had things planned for today and I dragged you into this. It sucks that you let everything go for nothing. I wanted us to come back with an egg…" he admitted, his eyes cast down in shame.

Ace was looking at him, not quite believing what he was hearing. "You… You fool!" A punch came down to Luffy's head, causing him to whimper in pain and whine his brother's name. "Shut up, Lu! You risked your life for something as stupid as this? What the hell?"

"Well, yeah!" He immediately defended himself. "Plus, it was pretty distracted so it seemed easy…" he added, albeit more quietly.

Ace kneeled down to be at Luffy's level and stared straight into those huge, black eyes. "Luffy…" he called softly. "Don't ever do something so stupid again. It's not worth dying over the little stuff. Alright?"

"I'm sorry, nii-chan," Luffy mumbled and broke the eye contact, his eyes turning to his shirt again. He didn't get to see Ace's eyes widen a fracture at the word he had used or the small smile that followed.

With that smile still on his face, he ruffled Luffy's messy black hair and stood up. "It's ok, Lu. You hungry? What do you say I catch us something to eat?"

The grin Luffy gave him was enough to light up the whole world. But Ace didn't care about the _whole world_. As long as Luffy was here to light up his, he was satisfied. Because he was _his _little brother and he was never letting him go.

No matter how stupid he got.

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A/N: Wow, this really is long. Once again, this is what happens when you people are so nice to me and give me lots of reviews. Honeydee, this one was for you, I hope it was close to what you were hoping for... If not, I'm really _really_ sorry. For the record, I tend not to use japanese terms but I know you liked that one and this is _your_ chapter after all. That'll be my last one for a while, so... see you guys in August! As always, thanks for reading and leave a review!


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